Abstract: The Scythe Ninja Mini SCMNJ-1000 is a compact lower-noise heatsink ideally suited to compact PC chassis. These diminutive PCs have until now not had much in the way to choose from for reduced noise CPU cooling.

The Scythe
Ninja Mini heatsink is equipped with one 80mm fan that rotates at 2300RPM with
just over 40 dBA noise. To listen to this heatsink in operation at its full fan
speed, click on the little headphones icon below and play the sample MP3 file.

FrostyTech Acoustic Sampling Chamber - Full
Speed

Standard Waveform view of a 10 second recording.
Click on the headphones icon to
listen to an MP3 recording of this heatsink in operation. The fan is
rotating at 2300 RPM

Sound Level Measurements: Which Heatsink is Quietest?

Listening
to the actual noise a heatsink makes allows you to hear what pure numbers alone
cannot get across. To further emphasize FrostyTech's reliance on cold hard facts
when evaluating a heatsink, we also take noise level measurements with a sound
level meter.

FrostyTech Heatsink Noise Level
MeasurementsNoise level Decibel
measurements of each heatsinks' fan in operation are taken with the
aid of a sound level meter and sound isolating enclosure. The values
may be higher than the mfgr's listed specs, but are directly
comparable to one another. Measurements are made on the dB (A)
scale, lower values are best. Information on Frostytech's test
methodology is available
here.

The single 80mm fan spins at a moderate 2300RPM on
the Scythe Ninja Mini heatsink. This generates about 41.7dBA noise according to Frostytech's real world sound
measurements.

Surface Finish and Flatness

Surface
finish is an important factor that we all look for when holding a new heatsink.
Flipping a cooler over to see how well the base has been machined is a quick way
to judge the attention to detail that was put into making it. The following test
involves the use of a Surface Roughness Comparator, which offers a concise cross
section common machine surface finishes.

The Scythe
Ninja Mini heatsink has a surface roughness of approximately 8 microinches,
which is considered excellent. Next, let's see how this heatsink handles the
heat compared to a selection of other
heatsinks!